How to adjust endoscopic findings to histopathological findings of the stomach: a "histopathology-oriented" correspondence method helps to understand endoscopic findings

Esophageal xanthoma with nearby coexistent squamous cell carcinoma observed using magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging

We report the case of a 63-year-old man who underwent annual surveillance esophagogastroduodenoscopy, during which a small squamous cell carcinoma and a tiny yellowish granular lesion were found in the middle esophagus, slightly apart from each other. Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging of the yellowish granular lesion showed yellowish spots and blots scattered within an approximately 2-mm area. The larger spots appeared nodular and were overlaid with tortuous microvessels. Subsequently, both the lesions were excised en masse via endoscopic submucosal dissection, and the yellowish lesion was determined to be xanthoma. Histologically, an aggregated nest of foam cells surrounded by intrapapillary capillary vessels filled the intraepithelial papillae; the foam cells also extended inferiorly, below the rete ridges, and were sparsely distributed through the lamina propria mucosae. To our knowledge, the latter finding is the first to be described in literature, which leads us to postulate that the number of foam cells in the lamina propria mucosae may affect how thick and yellow a xanthoma appears on endoscopy. We believe that this case that presents a highly detailed comparison between endoscopic and histologic findings improves our understanding of the endoscopic appearance of esophageal xanthomas and may facilitate a precise diagnosis of this rare disease.

Complete one-to-one correspondence between magnifying endoscopic and histopathologic images: the KOTO method II

Recent advances in magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging/blue laser imaging have aided in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal lesions. However, it requires knowledge of the relationship between magnifying endoscopic and histopathological images. We propose a novel method which makes possible a complete correspondence between magnifying endoscopic and histopathological images at the single glandular duct level. The KOTO method II enables three-dimensional visualization of the correlation between the endoscopic surface pattern of the mucosa and histopathological images. This method may be helpful in the development of diagnosis using magnifying endoscopy.

A Parallel Comparison Method of Early Gastric Cancer: The Light Transmission-Assisted Pathological Examination of Specimens of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

Objective

It is always challenging to diagnose and characterize early gastric cancer surrounded by non-cancerous mucosa, including the malignant diagnosis and extent and depth of the lesions. Therefore, we developed a light transmission-assisted pathological examination to diagnose and characterize early gastric cancer. Here, we performed a parallel comparison between the light transmission-assisted pathological examination under endoscopy and the histological examination for the diagnosis of early gastric cancer.

Methods

First, the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) specimen was first placed on the surface of the light-emitting diode lamp to observe the mucosal surface structure and blood vessels. Second, the sliced and embedded tissue strips were cut into 3-µm sections for hematoxylin and eosin staining. Third, the histopathology of each section was projected onto a macroscopic image. Finally, the macroscopic and microscopic changes in the ESD specimens observed under endoscopy were compared. Seventy cases of early gastric adenocarcinoma were diagnosed and characterized using this new method.

Results

Using the conventional pathological method, the demarcation line of the lesions was seen in 40 of 70 (57.1%) cases. Furthermore, no surface structure or microvascular changes were observed in any of the cases. Based on the light transmission-assisted pathological examination, 58 of 70 (82.9%) cases presented clear edges of neoplastic and non-neoplastic epithelia, with a classifiable surface structure (88.6%) and microvascular type (78.8%).

Conclusions

This pilot method provided a practical bridge between endoscopic and pathological examinations. Compared to the histological examination, the light transmission-assisted pathological examination was an easier and more precise way to match the in vivo endoscopic observation and in vitro pathological examination.